Recovery after Rhinoplasty (Nosejob)

If your surgeon has given you prescriptions for pain relievers and antibiotics, get the prescriptions filled in advance so that you have them ready when you get home. Take the antibiotics on time and take them for

as many days as you are instructed to.

Don't try to tough it out by not taking pain relievers. If you need them, take them. You will use less pain medication if you take it when the pain starts rather than waiting for the pain to be unbearable.

Recovery after rhinoplasty surgery is not comfortable. You won't be in huge amounts of pain, but there will be bruising and swelling as well as a stuffed up feeling for at least the first few days.

The evening or next morning after your surgery, you may feel very nauseous and may vomit. The vomit may look black in color. This is normal. You swallow a bit of blood during a Rhinoplasty and it can make you sick later. Usually, after you throw up, you feel better. Some surgeons do not recommend using cold compresses, so check with your surgeon first. However, swelling and pressure can be relieved by icing and many surgeons strongly recommend this. Some patients report that the best things to ice it down with are bags of frozen peas or frozen raspberries or anything like them. Trick: Another good trick is to mix one part rubbing alcohol with three parts water. Put a cup of this mixture into a Ziploc bag and seal it and then put that bag inside another Ziploc bag and seal it and place it in the freezer for a few hours. This freezes into a slushy mixture that can mold to your face. Make two or three of these bags so that one is always ready. You can also purchase cold packs that are specially designed for rhinoplasty recovery. Your surgeon will give you nasal packing, which is stuffed up your nose to help reduce swelling and bleeding. Packing will make you feel like your whole head is stuffed up. Some people feel overwhelmed a bit by having the packing in their nose. The swelling in your nose may feel like a lot of pressure in that area and can also be a bit upsetting. Some surgeons place a tube in the middle of the nasal packing to help you breathe a bit easier. Your packing, will be removed in a few days at your first post-operative appointment. Remember: you will be bruised so don't get too upset when you look at yourself in the mirror! Most people get two black eyes after nose surgery, so count yourself lucky if you don't. These bruises may increase or darken as they heal. It usually takes about 10 days for the bruising to disappear completely. However, in smokers it can take up to 3 to 5 weeks. So, quit smoking now for a better chance at a smoother and faster recovery. For the first week after your rhinoplasty surgery, you should sleep with your head and shoulders raised. If you have a recliner, you can try sleeping there. Your head should be at a 30 degree angle or at least two fluffy pillows worth. Keeping your head raised helps keep the swelling and bruising to a minimum. It can also help ward off postoperative bleeding. do not take anything with aspirin or ibuprofen in it, Until your surgeon says it is okay . Ask your surgeon about taking any type of medicine. Preferably, Avoid alcohol for at least 3 weeks. The cast is usually removed 7 days after surgery. Removal may hurt a little bit. If your sutures are being removed, this may also be slightly painful. After your cast is removed, the swelling moves down the face, that's okay, it is part of the rhinoplasty recovery process. Remember: After your cast is off, be careful not to accidentally hit your nose. Not only will it hurt very badly and possibly traumatize the tissues, you risk moving your nose out of alignment. Your bone is still weakened until it is fully healed. Most sutures used in a nose job are of the dissolving kind, but they may look like black or dark blue "hairs" sticking out of your nose. You may want to have them trimmed so you don't feel uncomfortable in public. to be continued ...